Thread protector and cutter



Jan. 25, 1966 c. K. MICHEL THREAD PROTECTOR AND CUTTER Filed June 5, 1964 FTsJ United States Patent 3,231,162 THREAD PRQTECTGR AND CUTTER Charlotte K. Michel, Harahan, New Orleans, La. (1328 Daniel Stu, Kennel, La.) Filed lune 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,794 4 Claims. (Cl. 225-19) This invention relates to thread holding devices and more particularly to a thread dispensing container.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a thread protector and cutter which will be made of clear plastic material and will have an internal blade for severing thread.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thread protector and cutter which will completely enclose a spool of thread and will have a cap in snapping engagement to cover the container thus serving to protect the thread from soil.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a thread protector and cutter which will have slot means through the outer periphery of the container through which the thread may be unraveled from the contained spool of thread.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a thread protector and cutter which will have a horizontal slot intersecting the vertical slot through the outer periphery of the container to secure the free ends of the thread after it has been cut by the blade means contained within the device.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a threa protector and cutter bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of FEGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view showing a modified form of the present invention; and

FiGURE 4 is a top plan view of FIGURE 3.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a thread protector and cutter it? made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a hollow cylindrical container 12 made of clear plastic or other suitable material which freely receives a spool 14 containing thread 16. A clear plastic cover 18 is in snapping engagement with the open end of container 12 to retain spool 14 and to prevent thread 15 from becoming soiled. An elongated vertical opening 2% through the periphery of container 12 provides a means for thread 16 to be unraveled from spool 14 when desired, and an arcuate cutting blade 22 is fixedly secured to the inner periphery of container 12 by suitable fastening means and extends partially into a rectangular slot 24 which intersects opening Zil. Slot 24 provides guide means for thread 16 when it is urged against the cutting edge of blade 22 in order to sever it. A slot as through the outer periphery of container 12 intersects elongated opening 20 and provides a means for frictionally receiving the end of thread l6 after it has been severed by blade 22 which makes it unnecessary to look for the end of thread 16.

In use, cover 18 is removed and the spool 14 is inserted into container 12, after which cover 18 is snappingly engaged within the upper extremity of container 12 to retain spool 14 within the container. Thread 16 is brought into the slot 24 and is urged against blade 22. which Will 'ice sever it at the required length. When this has been accomplished, the thread 16 is then frictionally urged within the slot as intersecting the opening 29, and in this way slot 26 prevents the end of thread 16 from moving away and becoming lost until it is used again.

In FIGURES 3 and 4 a modified form of the invention is shown to include a thread protector 23 which consists of a hollow cylindrical container 30 made of clear plastic which receives spool 31 and is covered by means of a snapping cover 32 received in the open end of container 30. An elongated and vertical opening 34 through the periphery of the container 30 slidably and frictionally receives an elongated cutting blade 36 which is provided with a projecting knob 33 which may be grasped with the fingers to slide and/ or remove blade 36. An elongated vertical opening 4% through the periphery of container 3% provides means for unraveling thread 42 from spool 31. The cutting blade 36 is then laterally displaced, e.g. to the extended position as shown in FIGURE 3, so that a portion thereof extends above the cover 32. The thread 42 is thus severed by bringing it in contact with the knife edge of the blade 36. Slot 44 at right angles to opening 40 frictionally receives the end of thread 42 after it has been severed and preventing it from entering the container 3% which would make it difficult to retrieve when needed. An opening as through container 30 provides an alternate means for thread 42 to be unraveled from spool 31.

It shall be noted that blade 36 may be entirely removed from thread protector 23 and allowing it to be used for cutting thread other than the thread contained in the spool container.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A thread protector and cutter comprising:

(a) cylindrical thread container means, said means having a rectangular slot extending longitudinally through its peripheral wall, such slot being further defined in that it has a recessed portion in a longitudinal side thereof;

(b) thread cutting means secured to the inner peripheral surface of said cylindrical container means and positioned so as to extend into the: recessed portion of the rectangular slot in the peripheral wall of said cylindrical container means whereby thread unraveled through the slot from a spool of thread positioned within said container means is severed upon contact with the knife edge of said cutting means; and

(c) cover means in mating relationship with said cylindrical container means.

2. A thread protector and cutter comprising in combination:

(a) a clear plastic cylindrical thread container means wherein a spool of thread is positioned, said container having a vertical slot opening in its wall through which thread is unraveled, said container further characterized by having a rectangular slot intersecting the vertical slot opening which provides a means for guiding thread into contact with cutting means, said container being further characterized in that a slot is provided through the wall of said container at right angles to the vertical slot opening with which it intersects whereby the loose end of the thread on the spool can be frictionally secured to provide easy access to another length of thread;

(b) thread cutting means mounted within said container means and secured to the inner peripheral 3 surface of said container, said cutting means extending into the rectangular slot intersecting the vertical slot opening whereby an unraveled length of thread guided into contact with said cutting means by virtue of the rectangular slot is thus severed; and

(c) a cover in snapping engagement with said container and carried by said container whereby a spool of thread carried within said container is retained and also prevented from becoming soiled.

3. A thread protector and cutter comprising:

(a) cylindrical thread container means, said means having a rectangular slot extending longitudinally through its peripheral wall through which thread is unraveled from a spool of thread positioned within said container means;

(b) thread cutting means slidably positioned in a groove within the peripheral wall of said container, the groove being essentially parallel to the rectangular slot within the wall of said container whereby said cutting means can be longitudinally displaced for severing a length of thread unraveled from the spool of thread within said container means;

(0) cover means in mating relationship with said cylindrical container means adapted to allow said cutting means to be longitudinally displaced within the groove in the peripheral wall of said container means to a perpendicular position above the plane established by said cover means.

4. A thread protector and cutter comprising in combination:

(a) a clear plastic cylindrical thread container means wherein a spool of thread is positioned, said container having a vertical slot opening in its wall through which thread can be unraveled, said container further characterized in that a slot is provided through the wall of said container at right angles to the vertical slot opening with which it intersects whereby the loose end of the thread on the spool can be frictionally secured to provide easy access to another length of thread, said container means being further characterized by having a vertical grooved opening in the wall of said container means wherein cutting means is retained;

(b) cutting means slidably and frictionally retained in the vertical grooved opening in the wall of said container means, one end of said cutting blade being provided with an extended knob secured to said cutting blade and extending outwardly to provide finger rest means for sliding said blade within the grooved opening in said container means;

(c) a flanged cover in snapping engagement with said container and carried by said container whereby a spool of thread carried within said container is retained and also prevented from becoming soiled, said cover having an opening through its flange corresponding to the grooved opening wherein said cutting means is positioned whereby said cutting means can be longitudinally displaced to a perpendicular position above the plane established by said cover means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,707,619 4/1929 King 242-146 1,784,258 12/1930 Tynan 225-77 X 2,499,130 2/1950 Chase 242137.1 2,550,944 5/1951 Stack 225-41 X 2,806,660 9/1957 Marcoff Moghadam 22588 X 3,033,432 5/1962 Code 22591 X 3,071,299 1/1963 Brown 225-77 3,133,683 5/1964 Deacon 225-62 0 WILLIAM \V. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Examiner.

J. M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A THREAD PROTECTOR AND CUTTER COMPRISING (A) CYLINDRICAL THREAD CONTAINER MEANS, SAID MEANS HAVING A RECTANGULAR SLOT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH ITS PERIPHERAL WALL, SUCH SLOT BEING FURTHER DEFINED IN THAT IT HAS A RECESSED PORTION IN A LONGITUDINAL SIDE THEREOF; (B) THREAD CUTTING MEANS SECURED TO THE INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER MEANS AND POSITIONED SO AS TO EXTEND INTO THE RECESSED PORTION OF THE RECTANGULAR SLOT IN THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER MEANS WHEREBY THREAD UNREVELED THROUGH THE SLOT FROM A SPOOL OF THREAD POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER MEANS IS SEVERED UPON CONTACT WITH THE KNIFE EDGE OF SAID CUTTING MEANS AND (C) COVER MEANS IN MATING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER MEANS. 